I don't envy you all having to survive your morning classes without coffee! Are the students there really such big slobs, or is this a big fuss over nothing? Surely there had to be a better way to handle the problem. If it's any consolation, if I was teaching there, I wouldn't enforce such a silly rule unless you were getting pizza delivery and didn't ask me what toppings I wanted. :rofl:

:rofl: I ate stuff in class all the time during the summer, but I dont have time during the regular semester. Sometimes Ill eat a snack though... What is this, kindergarten? Do they get nap time and time out as well? :rofl:

Aye Caramba!

Together they account for only 4 percent of the indoor space at University Park. But janitors often devote most of their time to cleaning the rooms, Blythe said.

Uhhh, isnt that their job?

"We debated whether to go that route, whether to add the cost to tuition," spokesman Bill Mahon said. "We decided instead that the ban would be the direction to go."

WRONG. You make them pay until it hurts. And you print on the bill a little line that says "tuition increase due to trash"

I hear ya Jason, I hate it when those stupid coffee drinkers (or coke drinkers) leave a mess on the tables!!!! I especially hate it when they spill coffee/coke on the floor/tables, ughh!!!! Good to see that water is still allowed, as water is awesome (and the only thing I drink ).

So I take it they are going to drop tuition prices, because they are saving so much money now right?

I'd be pissed if I was a student there. I drink coffee all the time in class. I also throw it away on the way out.

They should start fining professors if they break chalk. They should only allow professors to use powerpoint presentations to save on cleaning costs for the boards. They might as well teach under candle light, or better yet, outside.

They should start fining professors if they break chalk. They should only allow professors to use powerpoint presentations to save on cleaning costs for the boards. They might as well teach under candle light, or better yet, outside.

I think you are missing the point.

In some schools, the mess after class is a problem and it does cost money to clean.

In some schools, the mess after class is a problem and it does cost money to clean.

You're going way overboard.

I don't think I am missing the point. Maybe I am, but...

They went overboard, so I went overboard.

Say a dog urinates on the carpet. If you try to rationalize with the animal by saying "no", "bad dog", you may get the dog to stop doing it, but it is highly unlikely. What is more likely to happen, is the dog will continue to urinate in the wrong spot. Now instead, if you rub that dogs face in it, it will probably stop. Or it will at least think twice about urinating on the carpet before it does so.

Well completely killing all food and drink in the classroom is rubbing the students face in the carpet. It is extreme, but will probably be effective. However, the students are not dogs, and should not be treated as such. They could implement it temporarily, and that may be as effective.

Yes. Yes. It costs money to clean up after these students. It costs money to do most everything. We could start to analyze a lot of different things, and see how damn expensive it is to do them. I'll give you an example.

I hate it when people do not wash their hands after using the restroom. These people (I have no facts to back up what I'm saying) may be spreading germs. I might get sick because an indivdual uses the restroom, does not wash their hands, touches a door which I open, and then I touch my eye. Should we enfore mandatory hand washing? Should schools fine individuals for not washing their hands? Second hand smoking is such a problem... yet "second hand" germ contamination is overlooked.

All I'm saying is that they need to be reasonable... and I think banning food and drink from a classroom is NOT reasonable. Maybe it's just the caffeine addiction talking But I can't imagine making it through some classes without my travel coffee mug, and a strong cup of the good stuff.

Why not just send out a notice to ask students to remember to pick up their trash when they leave? I've never seen a classroom left in such a mess just because students are bringing their coffee with them. Then again, the article says they are only cleaning the classrooms once a day. Maybe that's the problem. Do they leave enough, readily accessible trashcans to hold all the litter if they are only cleaning once a day?

I expect that by the time someone gets to college, they no longer need a sippy cup to keep from making a mess with their beverages. And, why are water bottles less messy than coffee in a travel mug?

If I was teaching at Penn State, I'd be the first one breaking the no coffee in the lecture hall rule! Just banning all food and beverage, but then making exceptions for water bottles doesn't make any sense. To bring a cup of coffee or can of soda to class with you so you can stay awake through the entire lecture isn't all that unreasonable. Neither is bringing a sandwich or muffin or other light snack when you're rushed to get from class to class. It's not elementary school where everyone gets guaranteed a lunch hour and recess, some students genuinely end up with classes scheduled spanning the entire lunch hour and I'd rather they be able to eat in the classroom than not be able to focus on lecture because they are hungry. I really doubt they're showing up with 4 course meals. Each lecturer can determine for themself if a student is doing something disruptive and can ask them to stop if that's the case, but to ban all food and beverage because the custodians only want to clean the most utilized rooms on campus once a day is just plain silly. Of course they get dirtier than places like hallways and offices, they have WAY more people going through them.

Why not just send out a notice to ask students to remember to pick up their trash when they leave? I've never seen a classroom left in such a mess just because students are bringing their coffee with them. Then again, the article says they are only cleaning the classrooms once a day. Maybe that's the problem. Do they leave enough, readily accessible trashcans to hold all the litter if they are only cleaning once a day?

I expect that by the time someone gets to college, they no longer need a sippy cup to keep from making a mess with their beverages. And, why are water bottles less messy than coffee in a travel mug?

If I was teaching at Penn State, I'd be the first one breaking the no coffee in the lecture hall rule! Just banning all food and beverage, but then making exceptions for water bottles doesn't make any sense. To bring a cup of coffee or can of soda to class with you so you can stay awake through the entire lecture isn't all that unreasonable. Neither is bringing a sandwich or muffin or other light snack when you're rushed to get from class to class. It's not elementary school where everyone gets guaranteed a lunch hour and recess, some students genuinely end up with classes scheduled spanning the entire lunch hour and I'd rather they be able to eat in the classroom than not be able to focus on lecture because they are hungry. I really doubt they're showing up with 4 course meals. Each lecturer can determine for themself if a student is doing something disruptive and can ask them to stop if that's the case, but to ban all food and beverage because the custodians only want to clean the most utilized rooms on campus once a day is just plain silly. Of course they get dirtier than places like hallways and offices, they have WAY more people going through them.

Why not just send out a notice to ask students to remember to pick up their trash when they leave? I've never seen a classroom left in such a mess just because students are bringing their coffee with them. Then again, the article says they are only cleaning the classrooms once a day. Maybe that's the problem. Do they leave enough, readily accessible trashcans to hold all the litter if they are only cleaning once a day?

I expect that by the time someone gets to college, they no longer need a sippy cup to keep from making a mess with their beverages. And, why are water bottles less messy than coffee in a travel mug?

Um... they probably have tried all of the above. If they did, they certainly wouldn't publish it like the article above. At this point, we don't know if they did or not, so it makes no sense to suggest ideas because they might have tried them.

I wouldn't risk being the first to break the rule if I work there as a professor. Depending on your position or reputation, they may just fire you for not adhering to the rules.

It's a simple rule. I don't see what the big deal is. Drinking and eating in class is a bad habit in my opinion and should have never started and we shouldn't just let people develop bad habits. We allow people develop bad habits much too often, especially in school.

Note: One of those habits is not finishing work on time and pushing the date back for the students. This whole idea should never have happened either. If there is a special case, the student should represent his problem individually and it should be dealt with only one individual. The rest of the class should just learn to respect that. It's becoming easier and easier to push teachers/professors around now, and it's no wonder they're losing respect from the students.

Note: I have classes that span the lunch hour. Classes are usually like an hour long. I'm not going to die of hunger waiting an hour. Plus, if I was a professor and had a class at lunch hour, I wouldn't want to see all my students eating food. They will probably lose their focus on the material on the board and I have to deal with a possible mess after class and talking to a wall basically. Remember, this isn't elementary school where everyone must eat lunch during lunch hour.

Um... they probably have tried all of the above. If they did, they certainly wouldn't publish it like the article above. At this point, we don't know if they did or not, so it makes no sense to suggest ideas because they might have tried them.

I wouldn't risk being the first to break the rule if I work there as a professor. Depending on your position or reputation, they may just fire you for not adhering to the rules.

It's a simple rule. I don't see what the big deal is. Drinking and eating in class is a bad habit in my opinion and should have never started and we shouldn't just let people develop bad habits. We allow people develop bad habits much too often, especially in school.

Note: One of those habits is not finishing work on time and pushing the date back for the students. This whole idea should never have happened either. If there is a special case, the student should represent his problem individually and it should be dealt with only one individual. The rest of the class should just learn to respect that. It's becoming easier and easier to push teachers/professors around now, and it's no wonder they're losing respect from the students.

Note: I have classes that span the lunch hour. Classes are usually like an hour long. I'm not going to die of hunger waiting an hour. Plus, if I was a professor and had a class at lunch hour, I wouldn't want to see all my students eating food. They will probably lose their focus on the material on the board and I have to deal with a possible mess after class and talking to a wall basically. Remember, this isn't elementary school where everyone must eat lunch during lunch hour.

Maybe all this is true at your school, but not at my school. I think you are making a big leap and sticking your neck out with these statements Jason.

Over here, your assigment is due by the first 10 min of class, PERIOD. If you show up after that, you get a big fat zero, no questions asked.....so I have no clue what your talking about.

If it were just meant as retribution, it would be better to introduce strict punishments for perpetrators rather than restrict the entire student body. I don't think it makes much sense to think of a large mass of students like a single disobedient child.

I don't remember ever bringing food or drink to class when I was at PSU, but it sucks that those responsible people who actually went to morning classes won't be able to have their coffee anymore. As an alum, I have more respect for a school that has respect for its students.

"If it were just meant as retribution, it would be better to introduce strict punishments for perpetrators rather than restrict the entire student body. I don't think it makes much sense to think of a large mass of students like a single disobedient child."